Aircraft wheel and brakes heretofore have included a non-rotatable wheel support, a wheel rotatably mounted to the wheel support, and a brake disk stack having alternating rotor and stator disks mounted with respect to the wheel support and wheel for relative axial movement. Each rotor disk is coupled to the wheel for rotation therewith and each stator disk is coupled to the wheel support against rotation. A brake torque plate is located at the rear end of the disk pack and is comprises a torque tube and a back leg, while a brake head is located at the front end.
The brake head may house a plurality of actuator rams that extend to compress the brake disk stack against the brake torque plate. The brake torque plate provides the structure onto which the stator disks are splined for torque reaction, provides the reacting surface (back leg) for disk stack actuation loads, and provides the transfer of torque into adjoining structures, such as the brake piston housing or aircraft axle (e.g., via a torque tube). The back leg design of the brake torque plate can be varied to provide proper stiffness and minimum weight.
A function of aircraft brakes is to provide a stopping force or torque so as to quickly and efficiently convert kinetic energy into heat energy. In providing the stopping force, brakes may subject the aircraft (or parts thereof) to vibration. Such vibration is undesirable, as it can cause fatigue, cracking and/or failure of the aircraft's components, particularly in the area of the brakes and wheels.